It is open to govt to take necessary action on aci

Chennai: Madras High Court today observed it was open to the governments to take necessary action about the over-the-counter (OTC) sale of acid.

Justice N Kirubakaran made the observation when a petition by an NGO seeking a ban on the acid sale in the light of the death of two young women in acid attacks came up for hearing.

Advocate General A Navaneethakrishnan produced Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa`s press note about a bill to be passed in the coming Assembly budget session to regulate sale of acid.

Additional Solicitor General P Wilson produced a February 11 last Union Home Ministry letter to all state Home Secretaries about a meeting over the enactment of appropriate provision for effective regulation of sale of acid in the states and Union Territories.

When Wilson said a similar petition by one Laxmi was pending in Supreme Court, Justice Kirubakaran said this court would like to peruse the affidavit filed by the petitioner to verify whether the issue before the two courts were the same.

"Meanwhile, it is open to the appropriate governments to take necessary action in their discretion," he said and posted the matter for March 13 for their response.

Petitioner Shanthi, state co-ordinator of Erode-based Citizens For Human Rights Movement had prayed for a direction to seek enforcement of the Explosives Act by banning unlicensed over-the-counter acid sale with immediate-effect and a direction to prosecute acid-vendors in acid attack cases being prosecuted by the authorities.